Bel Air Seeks Motorists

In the towns

The town of Bel Air has hired two part-time parking garage attendants in its latest effort to convince people to park their cars in the year-old garage.

The attendants will work during morning and lunch hours to acquaint motorists with the garage and help them learn to use the parking meter system.

Bel Air Mayor Susan K. McComas said the attendants should "make the garage more user-friendly."

The parking garage has suffered lowusage since it opened in the summer of 1990. Lack of parkers has been blamed by some on the meter system, which requires a motorist to park the car, walk to a meter located on a garage wall, insert coins, and walk back to the car to put a receipt on the windshield.

HAVRE DE GRACE MULLS BILL

The Havre de Grace Council is considering a bill that would permit eight day-care centers that do not meet the city's zoning requirements to stay in business.

The proposal would allow day-care centers to operate without special zoning clearances in the city's four residential districts, said Stanley Ruchlewicz, the city's planning director.

Day-care centers can now open without zoning clearances in the city's residential-business district, Ruchlewicz said. The centers may open in other districts if the operators receive a conditional-use permit from the city Board of Appeals.

The City Council considered a similar bill about eight years ago, but the proposal was tabled and never acted on, Ruchlewicz said.

The state Child Care Administration thought the council had approved the plan and has since granted licenses to 12 centers without checking the city's zoning requirements, Ruchlewicz said.

Of the 12 centers approved by the state, only four meet Havre de Grace's zoning codes, Ruchlewiczsaid.

The council introduced the bill at its meeting on Monday. Apublic hearing on the proposal will be scheduled for later this month or early November.

UPGRADES AT LIBRARY

County Executive Eileen M. Rehrmann wants to transfer $120,000 from different funds to replacethe roof and heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at Aberdeen Library.

The project requires approval by the County Council, where a bill was introduced Tuesday night.

County libraries Director Philip Place said the 17-year-old library has sustained more than $10,000 damage to books, walls, ceiling and carpeting from a leaky roof.